January 12, 2012

Ford Issues Recall Of Over 500,000 Vehicles

Ford Motor Company, the No. 2 automaker in the US, said it is recalling more than 500,000 SUVs and minivans worldwide to fix a defect that can cause fires or loss of power.

The recall covers roughly 253,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans and 286,000 Ford Escape sport-utility vehicles, according to a statement from Ford spokesman Dan Pierce. Details of the recall also appears on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/latestRecalls.cfm).

The Escape recall follows a recall from 2007 in which Ford said some of the vehicles may not have been properly repaired, after the company found a flaw in the antilock brake system. The minivan recalls followed an investigation by the U.S. auto-safety regulator.

While the recall reaches vehicles sold worldwide, most of the affected vehicles are in the US.

“There are reports of property damage as a result of fire beyond vehicle-only damage,” Ford said in its report. There have been no reports of injuries due to the problem.

The defective part in 2001- and 2002-model Escape SUVs, may cause vehicles to have brake-fluid leaks from the caps of their brake master cylinder reservoirs, leading to corrosion that may cause fire, according to Ford.

“While the potential for fire is low, it is recommended that a customer park their vehicle outdoors away from structures until this recall repair is performed,” Pierce told Reuters in an email.

Freestars and Montereys from model years 2004 and 2005 are being recalled because the torque converter output shafts in their powertrains may fail and cause sudden loss of power. Pierce said the company is aware of two minor accidents that have occurred over the past eight years due to the minivan defect, with minor injuries in one and no injuries in the other.

“Ford is committed to top quality and responding quickly for our customers concerning any safety issues,” Pierce added.